BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME
by Te-Nehisi Coates
My mom and I both read this book, and were both hesitant to review it. In the end I agreed to do it because this is an important book. That is my opinion, but obviously, also the opinion of the literary establishment.
The book is addressed to Coates’s teenage son and is primarily concerned with what it means to be a black man in America today, and how it has changed since Coates was a young man. It is a sincere effort by a father to explain his worldview and history to a young man who is sure to be asking increasingly difficult questions in the days and years to come.
Coates discusses these questions and issues with grace and humor, while opening up his heart and mind to try to give his readers a glimpse of his truth. I think (and my mom agrees) that one difficulty was that the basic idea, while fascinating, might have been better served in a shorter form, like a New Yorker article. There wasn’t quite enough development or change to keep me engaged for the entire time.
That said, Coates is a gifted writer and the topics he covers here are well worth exploring. If you are curious, I would say, go for it. It’s only 150 pages, and quite conversational in style. And then you can decide for yourself. (Lily)
